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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) If you’re active on social media, your news feeds are probably flooded with videos of everyone — from friends to celebrities — dousing themselves with buckets of ice water.

The Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS has definitely gone viral, including at WOOD TV! Our own Terri DeBoer accepted the challenge, along with several staff members at WOOD.

The ice bucket challenge came to life when former Boston College baseball star Pete Frates challenged his friends to dump buckets of ice water on their heads to raise money and awareness for ALS, the disease he was diagnosed with in 2012. His video and story caught the attention of many, triggering a powerful ripple effect across many social media platforms.

Frates’ mission to raise awareness has exceeded anyone’s expectations. The whole effort has raised close to $23 million dollars for ALS, added more than 300,000 new donors to its database, and captured the attention and participation of so many Americans and celebrities.

eightWest would like to nominate you, the viewers, to take the challenge too! Post your ice bucket challenge videos to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and make sure to use the hashtag #eightwesticebucket , and you just might see your videos featured on our show.

If drenching yourself in ice water isn’t quite your cup of tea, we’d like to encourage you to make a donation to the ALS Association through their webiste, www.alsa.org

If you’re looking for another way to support the journey defeat ALS, Grand Rapids is proudly hosting “Walk to Beat ALS” on Sunday, September 7 at Sixth Street Park. You can find more information on the walk on their website.

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